Optical, photo-physical properties and photostability of laser dyes impregnated in sol-gel matrix

The lasing action of some dyes (pyrromethene 597, pyrromethene 567 and Rhodamin B) incorporated into sol-gel silica glass material were reported. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was studied under 532 nm, laser excitation in transverse pumping configuration for the prepared rod samples. The influence of dye concentrations on the amplified spontaneous emission peak wavelengths, the output energies, the gain and the energy conversion efficiencies were studied. Relatively high efficiencies were obtained with good photostabilities where a decrease to ∼ 40% of the initial ASE output energy were observed after pumping by ∼ 60,000 shots at relatively high repetition rate (10 Hz) and energy (15 mJ).